Lecithins and modified lecithins are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries as digestible solubilizers and emulsifiers. Lecithins are obtained from various animal or vegetable sources, such as soybeans or egg yolk, and comprise a mixture of phospholipids and triglycerides, as well as lesser amounts of compounds such as glycolipids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and/or sterols.
Partial hydrolysis of phospholipids in lecithins has been found to improve emulsifying properties. This modification is most commonly effected by treatment of lecithin with phospholipase A1 and/or A2, which selectively hydrolyze the first or second glyceryl fatty acid, respectively, of phospholipids.
Addition of mono- and diglycerides to lecithins or partially hydrolyzed lecithins has also been found to improve properties in end products, such as antisplattering properties in margarines or baking characteristics in flour. Currently, such products are prepared by adding such mono- and diglycerides to lecithins or partially hydrolyzed lecithins. It would be useful to directly prepare such products, in a controlled manner, by enzymatic hydrolysis of lecithin.